


Unintended

by ArcaneCanine



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Casual Sex, Character Development, Drunk Sex, Dubious Consent, Generally being a hoe, Manipulation, Multi, Multiple Partners, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Sexting, Sexual Fantasy, Sugar Daddy, Threesome, lying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-04-13 14:22:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14114238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArcaneCanine/pseuds/ArcaneCanine
Summary: Amber decided to sneak into a private party where many famous trainers and gym leaders would be. Her plan was to just hook up with someone for a story, but after that first conquest, she's feeling confident and craving more. Getting access to their inner circle looks easier than she thought... will her attitude change after she's caught in a web of lies? Will she be able to quench her thirst, or will she catch feelings?[OC/canon character(s)] [Story is still in the works and additional characters/tags will be added when relevant or necessary.] [Tagged explicit to be safe.] [Also on FF.net]





	1. Chapter 1

A young woman was making her way through the dissipating crowd, moving against the grain. She was making her way toward the stadium where people were filing out.

Earlier that afternoon, the stadium had held one of its annual Pokemon events, a convention of sorts where trainers from all over would come to meet up, train together and get tips from celebrity trainers, breeders and more. The event was always a huge hit and attracted many trainers and Pokemon fans young and old.

However, the event was now over and attendees were leaving so that event staff could clean up and prepare the stadium for its normal purpose. But an event that hosted many celebrities was of course going to have an after party, and that is where Amber was heading.

The woman entered the building where there were less people than outside, and began making her way toward a flight of stairs. On the second floor, she kept her movements swift as she kept walking down the dimly lit hall. She was sneaking around, but she wanted to look like she knew where she was going so nobody stopped her.

Amber ascended another set of stairs. The halls were completely vacant this far up, so she slowed her pace to take a moment to run the plan through her head one more time. As she rounded the corner, the faint sound of music could be heard. Particularly the bass as it lightly rattled the tile beneath her feet.

She followed the noise until she spotted a set of doors, one of them was propped open. Amber checked her reflection in the window real quick, pulling her bright red curled locks behind her shoulders to show off her ample bosom before stepping into the room.

She did a once-over of the room, recognizing many of the famous gym leaders, Pokemon coordinators, and trainers throughout, all in a relaxed state you normally wouldn't see. These are usually professionals and role models, but in this room they were simply people. Many were dancing, and the bar was full. This room was probably never this full on any other night.

"Oh! This way, Viola! Another one!" Two men came rushing over to Amber. The one leading the way had a luxurious mane of brown hair, and behind him was a man with turquoise hair and eyes to match, and a young blonde with a camera.

The two men stood on either side of Amber and immediately started posing as the blonde snapped photo after photo. The two had leaned against her, provocatively posing for photos and making the sexiest faces they could in their drunken state. Amber couldn't help but laugh and join in, also making seductive expressions and poses.

"Marvelous! How do they look, my dear?" the brunette asked while slowly running a hand through his hair as the girl took one last photo before checking as requested.

"Awesome, Burgh!" The young girl, presumably Viola replied. "Take a look."

The three of them looked over her shoulder as she scrolled through each one. All of them laughed and Viola zoomed in on some, pointing out some expressions she found noteworthy.

"Wonderful. Please remember to forward them all to me, would you?" Burgh grinned and put a hand on Viola's shoulder.

"I want them too! Just send a mass message. I'm sure everyone wants to see that photo of Skyla and-"

"Aww, come on, Wallace. This is supposed to be fun. They don't know I took it, I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable or anything."

"That's very considerate of you. That makes you a very respectable photographer," Amber chimed in.

"Thank you!" she smiled brightly, holding up her camera. "I'm going to get a few more before calling it a night." Viola nodded and headed off, the men watching her leave before turning to face Amber.

"Thanks for playing along with us." Wallace put an arm around her shoulder. "We didn't keep you from anyone, did we? Who are you here with?"

"Falkner," she replied without skipping a beat. "But it's fine, I-"

"Shit, Burgh! We stole Falkner's girlfriend." Wallace whined extensively. One could guess he had more to drink than his brown haired friend.

"It's okay, really." she replied. Thankfully, they didn't actually question it. Amber had no idea if Falkner was even at the party, or had been at the event today.

"Excellent, so you're ours now." Burgh smiled and also put an arm around Amber. "My name is Burgh by the way, and this handsome fellow is Wallace."

"The pleasure is mine," Amber smiled. "My name is Amber."

This was fantastic. She was sandwiched between two tall, slender, handsome men at a party and she didn't even have to make a move. She wrapped her arms around their waists and the three started to walk around the lounge.

Amber scanned the party as the three awkwardly waddled around, still stuck together. She recognized gym leaders Wulfric, Crasher Wake and Clair sitting at a table chugging beer in what appeared to be some sort of drinking contest. She spotted Misty doing shots at the bar with three younger girls who were probably gym leaders, too.

Burgh led the way to a sliding glass door which opened up to a large balcony. The outside was quieter and much cooler temperature wise. The two men now stood beside her and Amber let her grip relax as she touched both of them gently at their lower backs.

"Let's bring the party this way, shall we?" Burgh tugged on their hands and brought them to a group of people sitting in an area with couches and chairs around a table. As they got closer, Amber could see it was two men with many women spread around. The women were clearly interested in whatever the guys were doing, obviously very attracted to them. Amber saw that one of the men was gym leader Morty from Johto but did not recognize any other people.

The ladies happily greeted Wallace and Burgh when the three approached. Wallace pulled up a chair for Amber to sit in and he leaned on the back of it while Burgh sat on the arm of one of the couches.

Amber nodded along to a story the mysterious man was telling while observing the group. She noticed whose gaze lingered once she and the guys had sat down, which ladies were genuinely interested in the story and which ones were simply lusting and hungry for attention. These women most likely had the same intentions as she did, but they were obviously going about it the wrong way. They were silly fan girls to these men and were allowing themselves to be taken advantage of. Amber also studied the man speaking and wracked her brain for his identity, noting his pointed, jet black hair and ice blue eyes.

"Wallace, you can sit here you know," one of the women said, patting a very small, practically nonexistent space next to her on the couch.

"Thank you, but I'm spending time with my friend Amber," he politely declined. The woman glared at Amber and turned back to the man telling the story just as two more men showed up with trays of drinks. Amber made sure to relax in her seat a bit more so that Wallace was actually touching her with his arm.

"Finally. We've been waiting," the man who was telling the story growled as the servers started handing out drinks and placing others on the table. Amber didn't recall seeing any servers inside so she wondered who the two were and how these people roped them into serving them.

"I'll get it for you, Grimsley," one of the women to the side of him said, grabbing a glass off the table and handing it to the dark haired man. He gave a crooked smile and turned to Morty and the woman in between the two and the three of them clinked their glasses before drinking. The one who gave him the glass scoffed, realizing she wasn't worth his attention and walked away

"Ah, hey Wally, Burgh. When did you guys show?" The man known as Grimsley asked, slurring somewhat but keeping as cool as possible.

"We've been making rounds. Good evening, Elesa," Burgh smiled at the woman between Grimsley and Morty and she waved awkwardly. "Say, that story-"

"Wallace. So, are you like... gym leader or champion right now?" Grimsley said condescendingly, completely ignoring Burgh. Amber couldn't see Wallace but she felt him stiffen up at the question.

"Well..." Wallace hesitated. This seemed to be a sensitive subject. Amber didn't know what they were talking about, either, so she listened closely.

Grimsley raised an eyebrow and waited for a response.

"There is paperwork that needs to be done, and Steven has been away." Wallace answered.

"That doesn't answer my question. Are you a gym leader or are you a champion? Are you weak or are you strong?" Grimsley smirked as he pressed on. Wallace was growing uncomfortable.

"I'm waiting for Steven to come back from his trip." Wallace replied again.

"Do you need your boyfriend's permission?"

"Grims-" Morty started but Grimsley continued his assault.

"Are you even capable of a relationship? With your incompetence-"

_Shit, this is getting out of control. He is gonna ruin my plans._

"Cut it out." Amber cut him off. She spoke loudly over him. Grimsley stared at her.

"I'm sorry, was I talking to you?" Grimsley snarled. Amber rose from her seat.

"Say that to my face," she said with confidence. She doubted the man could do anything to her or would put up a fight.

"Why is this whore fighting your battle for you?" Grimsley laughed and leaned to the side in attempt to see Wallace behind Amber, but she was moving in the dark haired man's direction.

Amber grabbed a fist full of Grimsley's hair and yanked it back so she could see his face.

"Don't you ever insult me," she kneed him in the stomach, "or my friends ever again, you prick." Amber spat on his face and Burgh grabbed her around the stomach, picked her up and hurriedly took her away back inside.


	2. Chapter 2

"Holy shit, I can't believe you just stomped Grimsley." Burgh sighed exasperated.

"I need a drink." Amber groaned. "Where did Wallace go?"

"He took off just in time to miss you smackin' Grimsley around." Burgh rubbed Amber's back. "Sweetie, you need a moment. How about I get you that drink you wanted?"

"Sounds great, thank you." she smiled. "I'll let you decide."

Burgh nodded and headed off, leaving Amber alone to contemplate.

She rested her elbow on the end of the bar and held her head up as she waited for Burgh to return, and for a seat to become available. She wondered where Wallace went and if she should go after him, since she decided earlier he would be easy. She actually kind of felt bad for him, which was unusual for her. Normally, she tried not to make emotional connections, especially if she's sleeping with a stranger. Also, they usually came to her, while tonight Amber was doing the hunting.  _That stupid Grimsley guy really fucked this up for me._

"Here we are. I got you a peach margarita, I wasn't sure what exactly you'd want, I hope it's okay." Burgh apologized and Amber just smiled and took it anyway.  _Gotta start drinking something so I have more options._

"Thank you, you don't need to apologize." she started drinking. "It's a little stronger than I expected."

"I just figured, you know, you said you  _needed_  a drink, so I had them put a little more of the good stuff."

"I appreciate it. Thank you Burgh, it's just what I needed." She had read this guy and was pretty sure he wouldn't drug her, so she wasn't worried about that. Amber was more focused on making her move, because Burgh seemed a little nervous. He was more vulnerable now that she had him alone. She had to take the opportunity.

The people beside them left, so Amber and Burgh took their seats.

"By the way, Viola texted me and asked for your contact information. For the photos." he chuckled, remembering their earlier shenanigans. "Do you mind?" he asked, handing Amber his phone.

"For the photos, huh?" she tried to hide her smirk. She checked the screen and saw that "Email" was highlighted. "So, it's like a shared folder through email invite, not my number, right?"

"Well, I mean... if you want to put that on there, too. I think it would be nice to hang out again."

"Yeah, that sounds great." Amber smiled. "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Unova, what about yourself?"

"I'm from Johto. Unova is a ways away from here! That's quite the trip to attend a convention."

"I'm actually a gym leader there. Have you heard of Castelia City?" he set down his empty glass.

"That's the biggest city in the whole region, isn't it?" Amber asked. "I didn't really think you were such a big city guy."

"I haven't lived there all my life, but that's where my gym is!" he smiled fondly. "I love it there, but I also like traveling and such, especially when I've got artist's block."

"Traveling sounds so much fun! Where have you been?"

"I've been to quite a few places. I've been to many cities mostly for their museums and art exhibits, but I've been to other places in search of inspiration."

 _He's so talkative now_ , Amber smiled to herself.  _He's pretty charming, actually_.

"You said you're from Johto? Last time I was there, I stayed in Olivine City for a week or so. I heard about how tranquil it is there, so much beauty. The beach was gorgeous... and that lighthouse!" Burgh continued excitedly. "I had the honor of meeting Jasmine the gym leader while I was there, and she took me up the lighthouse to meet the Ampharos who lights it up. It is one of my fondest memories." he sighed happily. "That woman is beautiful, too."

"Jasmine?" Amber asked.

"Oh, goodness, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be saying such things..."

"No, no. She is beautiful. There's nothing wrong with saying that." Amber grinned. "Did you hook up with her at least?"

"Heavens no. She was out of my league. I was a nobody back then. I wasn't a gym leader, just a starving artist." he sighed. "She wouldn't have wanted me."

"Did you even try?" Amber frowned. "Have you seen her since you've become gym leader? I mean, do gym leaders get together and do... gym leader stuff?" she asked. "Would she remember you?"

"God, I hope so. I certainly remember her."

"I think you should go for it! You two would be so cute together."  _What the hell am I doing?_  "Well, if the opportunity strikes, you gotta take it. Don't be shy this time."

"I am definitely more confident now than I was back then." Burgh pointed out. "That was a couple of years ago. I am much more straightforward." He was watching the bartender make his was back towards them, probably because he wanted to get another drink. He motioned for another round.

"Good, I'm glad you're so confident. You know what you want, and you're not playing any games." Amber agreed.

"Yes! You get me." Burgh laughed, putting an arm around her. "Being an artist means I am all about expression."

The bartender brought them two more drinks. "This'll be the last, we gotta close down now."

"Aww man." Amber groaned. "I wasn't done getting shit faced."

"I hear the hotel y'all are staying at has the bar open another hour or so."

"Yeah, but we gotta pay for those drinks."

"I don't think you'll have to pay for any drinks, sweetheart." he chortled.

"Yeah, you're right." Amber laughed with him. Burgh was occupied with his drink and watching people begin to leave.

"Did you want to head out?" Burgh asked.

"Gimme a minute." Amber replied and started drinking faster.

"Whoa there, you can have more than one minute." he said, putting a hand on her back, setting his empty glass down with the other.

"I'm good." she said, trying to assure herself more than anything. She took a breath and got up from her seat, holding Burgh's arm to stable herself.

"Are you sure?" he asked as she started walking away. He looked down at her high wedge heels nervously.

"Yes dear, now let's hurry so we can catch the next shuttle."

Burgh walked beside her and carefully watched as Amber walked down each flight of stairs with her hand clutching the railing.

Outside of Indigo Stadium, they waited with the others for the shuttle to come back from the hotel. The hotel they were staying at normally housed competitors for the Indigo League and other tournaments, but all of the best suites had been reserved for invited guests from this weekend's event. Amber had secured the best room that the general public could get for the night, just in case.

After arriving, Amber headed straight to the bar, Burgh trying to catch up. The crowd there was much less recognizable. Now that they were in the hotel and not the private party, there were lots of normal people about.

By the time he found her, she already had a drink in her hand.

"Amber, I was looking for you." Burgh said. "Uhm, I wanted to know if you had somewhere to stay tonight? Should we be looking for Falkner?"

"Falkner?" Amber asked.

"Yeah... you said you came here with him?"

"Ohhhh, yeah, yeah." she nodded. "I don't have to stay with him though." she said playfully, pressing against him.

"Wait, hold on." Burgh said sternly, putting his hands on her shoulders and moving her back. "Are you sure he's not looking for you? And are you two friends, are you his family or his... g-girlfriend?"

"None of that matters if I'm with you!" she put her glass down and grabbed his hand, pulling him out to the hall and to the elevators.

"Can you at least like... tell me your relationship with him?" Burgh asked. The doors opened and she pushed him inside, pinning him against the wall and kissing him. He kissed her back once before trying to pull away, but she held him tighter. He turned his face away.

"Amber, please." he pleaded. He pushed the button for his floor.

"Come here." Amber tried to turn his face but he was obstinate. She was getting frustrated. She kissed at his jawline and trailed down his neck, making him moan just slightly as he pushed her away. The doors opened up and he rushed out before her and down the hall. Amber stumbled out behind him.

Burgh pulled out the room key and unlocked the door as she approached. He held the door open for her and let her inside first.

"Will you talk to me, please?" Burgh asked again. Amber was standing beside the bed trying to unbutton her blouse. He sighed and sat down, taking her hands and pulling her down beside him. "Look, I don't know what the deal is. I really can't do anything unless I know for sure. You probably don't mean this..."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know if you guys got in a fight at the party or whatever, but you need to talk it out with Falkner."

"Are you  _still_  going on about that?" she groaned. "I told you, we're just like... friends."

"You just sound so... unsure is all." Burgh replied quietly.

"Well then, I don't want to inconvenience you!" Amber yanked her arms away from him dramatically. "I'll just be on my way." she stood up and looked down at him, waiting for a response. Burgh just kept looking down. She waited another moment before storming out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Amber waited in the hallway just outside Burgh's hotel room.  _He's gonna chase after me and throw himself at me, he just needs a moment._

She waited, and waited. The moment never came. Unfortunately, this wasn't working out the way it normally did for her. Now, she was getting frustrated, and even sexually frustrated. This Burgh guy actually had decency, and it is throwing Amber's plans into jeopardy once again.

Amber groaned out loud and started walking down the hallway.  _I'll just find out where the party moved to_. She got in the elevator and went up one floor, then walked around and listened, focusing as much as she could in her drunken state. She didn't run into anyone or hear anything exciting, so she got back in the elevator and went up another floor.

When she stepped out, she heard someone yelling down one of the hallways. They sounded extremely upset. Amber followed the voice and saw a man sitting down, slumped against the wall and blubbering into a cellphone.

"Wallace?"

It was actually him. When she said his name it completely startled him. He yelped and threw his phone into the air, sending it flying. His eyes were red and puffy. He was wasted.

"Oh, honey." Amber said. "We've been worried about you." She knelt down beside him and hugged him, rubbing his back gently. She held him for a moment and then heard a muffled voice. She remembered Wallace had been using his phone and she went and picked it up.

"Hello? Wallace? Who is there?" a man's voice said through the receiver.

"Hi there, I'm with Wallace." Amber said. "I've been looking for him all evening."

"Bless you. What is your name, my dear?"

"Amber." She replied. This man had a lovely voice that was incredibly soothing. No wonder Wallace called this man when he was upset.

"Hello Amber, my name is Steven. Wallace is a dear friend of mine and I am worried about him. How is he doing?"

"He is very drunk. I found him upstairs in the hallway of the hotel."

Steven sighed. "Amber, are you busy at the moment?"

"Not at all."

"I'm sorry to ask so much of you." Steven said. "Could you do a huge favor for me and get him to his room?"

"Of course I will." Amber looked over at Wallace who was now laying on the floor. "I'll look after him."

"I don't want him to be a burden; if you could just get him there safely he should be fine until morning."

"He needs someone to be there tomorrow. I promise I will take care of him."

"Thank you so much, Amber. I really appreciate your help. I owe you."

"Good night, Steven. Take care."

"Good night, Amber."

She ended the call and hoped there was a contact photo for him, but the screen was blank.  _Damn_.

"Wallace, hun, let's go." Amber said, shaking him gently. He turned and she stood up, holding out her hand. He took it and she pulled, trying to keep her balance as he somewhat tried to lift himself. After a few attempts, Wallace was on his feet, stumbling and was kept steady between Amber and the wall.

Luckily, Wallace had already had his room key out, with his room number on it so Amber could find it. She unlocked the door and they stumbled inside. Amber turned on the light and walked Wallace to the bed. She tried to lay him down but lost her balance and they both fell onto the bed.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

Wallace had his eyes closed. "I-I'm doing fine." He rolled onto his back and covered his face.

Amber sat up and took off her heels, then sat on the floor to take off Wallace's shoes. "Your friend Steven asked me to take care of you." she said, standing over him.

"Steven?"

"Yeah, I talked to him on the phone. He is worried about you, Wallace."

Wallace laid there quietly while Amber climbed over him. She loosened his necktie and started unbuttoning his dress shirt.

"What else did he say?" Wallace asked hopefully.

Amber frowned. She was now straddling him and had pulled his shirt aside to reveal his bare chest. She gently ran her fingers down his chest, making him quiver. Wallace stretched his arms over his head. His eyes were still closed but now he was smiling just slightly.

"Well, Steven didn't say much to me." she answered. She swept his bangs to the side. "He just wanted me to take care of you."

Wallace nodded. Amber pulled him up into a sitting position. She lifted his chin slightly and tilted hers so she could bring their lips together. His curled into a smile and he giggled as they kissed.

Amber slipped his shirt off his shoulders and as if in response, Wallace slid his hand up her leg and squeezed her thigh, his fingers barely under her skirt. Amber squeaked at the swift and unexpected movement, and Wallace seized the moment by deepening their kiss. She couldn't help but smirk as she felt Wallace tighten up under her. She pressed her hips against him, and Wallace let out a groan, the noise elevating both of their desires.

Honestly, she hadn't expected him to do much in this encounter, but paired with the alcohol's influence it was turning her on. This was what she had been waiting for all night.

Amber's breathing was heavy as she fumbled to try and get Wallace's belt undone. She stood up on her knees and Wallace moved both hands up her skirt and grabbed her hips, sticking his thumbs in the straps of her g-string. Amber wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, burying his face in her chest. He wiggled his face to try and get inside of her unbuttoned blouse, and Amber unbuttoned the rest to grant him access. He kissed at her breasts and moved his hands around to her backside to get a handful of ass before rolling her panties down to her knees.

Wallace wrapped his arms around her and laid back down, pulling Amber with him. She slipped out of his grip and sat back up to remove his pants, also adjusting herself to get her panties out of the way.

Amber slid down his boxer briefs to reveal his erection. She smiled and stroked it gently, and Wallace let out an unrestrained moan at the touch. She teased him more, earning more sounds of pleasure as she slid her tongue up his shaft and took him in her mouth. She proceeded to bob her head a few times before positioning her body above his and slowly lowering herself onto his cock.

He lazily reached out to grab hold of her so Amber leaned forward and Wallace gripped her waist tightly as she rode him. Wallace tried to move with her, but couldn't quite match her pace.

 _Boy, he's tired_. She kept grinding and he kept whimpering little sounds of pleasure. His grip slackened, and she moved faster. His sounds became louder in response.

Suddenly, Wallace grabbed her tightly again and Amber let out a surprised yelp. His breathing was faster now and she knew he would climax soon. She sat up straight again and arched her back, and Wallace made one more loud groan.

After that, there was only the sound of Wallace trying to catch his breath. Amber lingered on top of him before rolling off to lay on her back beside him. Her genitals throbbed and begged for more contact. She waited for him to catch his breath and say something. But it was just quiet.

 _If he wasn't so tired I would have just made him pleasure me_ , she thought. She sighed and rolled out of bed, stumbling to the bathroom through the dimly lit room. She washed up and looked at herself in the mirror and frowned.

 _Should've taken my clothes off_. Her blouse was wrinkled so she removed it, shrugged, and removed the rest of her clothes.

When she returned, she saw Wallace had rolled over and it sounded like he was sleeping. Amber tossed her clothes to the floor so that in the morning, it would appear that the night's events were much more steamy. She went to the kitchenette and opened a bottle of wine that was sitting on the counter. As she poured herself a glass, she recalled that there had been one in Burgh's room as well, so they were probably gifts from the event.

_Oh, I forgot about him. He probably called me. Oh well._

Amber leaned on the counter and sipped the wine, imagining the possible scenarios that could unfold in the morning.

She glanced at the sleeping Wallace and thought about how round two would be when he was actually awake. He definitely owed her for falling asleep so quickly.

She thought about Burgh apologizing for being such a fool and begging her to come back to sleep with him. She had been convinced he would be so easy earlier that evening, but she knew he would eventually come crawling back. They always did.

She thought about Wallace's friend Steven. She pictured what he could possibly look like, and imagined meeting him some day. He would say, 'Wow, thank you so much for taking care of my friend! I said I owed you one, how could I ever repay you?' and she would already have that foot in the door as a way to approach him and get him to bed, too.

Her next few conquests were already lined up so neatly! Amber smiled and set down her glass. She went back to the bed and tugged a blanket out from under Wallace and tossed it over him before she turned off the light and got in herself.

 _I think today would be considered a success._  She smiled to herself and soon enough, she was fast asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Wallace was woken up by the now unbearable throbbing pain in head, and the churning of his stomach. He grimaced and held his head and tried not to move so the pain wouldn't be worse. His mouth was dry and he silently begged for help. If only someone could get me some water.

He immediately regretted that thought, as it made his stomachache worse. Wallace sighed and knew what he had to do. He slowly sat up in bed, and his stomach flopped once more, making him feel sick. Trying not to waste any time, he scurried to the bathroom, stumbling along the way, and dropped to the floor in front of the toilet just as the vomit started spilling out.

_Ugh._

Wallace sighed in relief. He felt somewhat better after flushing. He used the counter to pull himself to his feet, and then he saw himself in the mirror.

He had been trying not to think too hard because of the headache, but now a flood of questions came to mind. Everything he had been putting off.

_What happened last night?_

He walked out of the bathroom and picked his underwear up off the floor and slipped them on when he was startled by a voice.

"Good morning, Wallace." Amber was shifting in bed to prop herself up on her elbows. The blanket slid down and exposed her naked breasts. Wallace turned away politely, but Amber had seen the slight panic and smiled.

"G-Good morning." he replied quietly.

"How are you feeling?" she inquired.

"I'm... okay." Wallace answered honestly. "Headache."

"Ah. Yeah, you has a rough night."

"Did I...?" He was beginning to question whether he even remembered what happened in the first place. He put a hand to his head.

"Yeah... do you remember anything?" Amber chuckled to herself. Knowing they were going to talk and that he was uncomfortable, she sat up straight and pulled the blanket to cover up and patted the spot next to her. Wallace instead sat at the end of the bed. He spotted women's clothing strewn across the floor, most likely belonging to the one in his bed. He desperately tried to recall her name, running a hand through his hair.

"The party..." Wallace began, turning to Amber. Her emerald eyes watched him, and she nodded for him to continue. "I made rounds and spoke to people I hadn't seen in a while. I had a couple drinks with some. Then Viola had come over and took some photos of us. Burgh was excited and had drank a lot at that point and he wanted to take pictures with everyone, so he took Viola and I around and we posed for her." He laughed at the memory. "In his drunkenness, he had been inspiration struck and started setting up shots, too." Wallace mentally recalled all the people he had taken photos with and wondered how they had turned out. Then, he remembered that's how he met Amber. He pondered again for her name and what he knew about her.

"Awww." Amber smiled. "That's what you guys were doing when I met you. Although, I do recall you were more drunk than Burgh was."

Wallace frowned and tried to think of an excuse. Luckily, his phone started ringing, so he quickly moved to the table across the room to answer it.

"I need to take this." he said to Amber. She nodded.

"Hello? ... No, I was awake. ... Uhhh..." he glanced in Amber's direction. "Yes, she did. ..." He covered the receiver. Amber stood up and he turned his whole body away and continued talking. She remembered the nakedness and picked up her blouse, slipping it on and doing a few buttons before walking over to him, intrigued.

"Okay, one second." Wallace muted the phone and turned to her. "Amber." He put his hands on her shoulders. "Do. Not. Tell Steven about what happened."

"But he kn-"

"Not _that_ ," he grumbled. "About... you staying here."

Her eyes widened. Now, she was genuinely curious about Wallace's relationship with Steven. Why wouldn't he want him to know? He didn't say "about us having sex" so she wondered if he hadn't accepted it yet, or if he was still unsure about everything that happened.

"Okay." she replied. "As far as he knows, I came over to check on you this morning."

"Great. Thank you." Wallace gave her a quick hug. "I'm gonna take a shower."

Amber picked up the phone from the table, unmuted it and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Miss Amber."

"Ah, good morning Steven."

"How was Wallace last night? Did he give you any trouble?"

 _Yeah_ , she wanted to say. _He fell asleep while I was on his dick_. "Not at all. He was tired so he went right to sleep when I brought him back."

"That is good. I'm glad he wasn't an inconvenience." Steven sighed. "I was worried about him."

Amber heard the shower running in the bathroom, so she figured there was time to chat with Steven. "I was worried, too. It took a while to find him after he had run off."

"So, what exactly happened with him?" he asked.

Amber explained the fight with Grimsley, and told him that she and Burgh had gone looking for him.

"Knowing Wallace, he drank a lot more after taking off. I was certain he was wasted. I had a hard time understanding him over the phone, but I know he had been very upset about something."

 _The poor guy is very insecure_. "I'm guessing he called you after leaving the bar."

"That sounds correct." He sighed.

"You two must be very close if he chose to call you at such a time. He kept asking about you last night."

"Ah... yes, Wallace and I have been friends for many years." Steven replied. He spoke very fondly of Wallace, and Amber remembered the attacks from Grimsley.

"Say... Steven. That Grimsley guy, he said some pretty harsh stuff to Wallace. He was also insinuating that you two had a very... intimate relationship."

"Intimate, you say?"

Amber heard the shower turn off. "Uh, yeah. He said some stuff about Wallace not being capable of a relationship, and he referred to you as his boyfriend."

There was a pause. Steven didn't respond.

"... Wallace seems to think very highly of you, Steven. I can tell he really cares about you, and what you think of him... and everything you have to say."

"That is very kind of you to say." Steven said. He paused again. "... Miss Amber, if you don't mind me asking, do you have any plans the next couple days?"

An odd question. "No, I don't. I was just gonna do some sightseeing before heading home."

"And where is 'home'?"

"Johto, in Goldenrod."

"I am actually at the airport about to board. I am flying back home from business in Sinnoh. Wallace is supposed to be coming back later this afternoon. I wanted to invite you to come back with him."

"What?"

"I would like you to come to a dinner party of sorts. I will pay for your flight if you would like to come to Hoenn with Wallace. He will also be attending the party. It is a celebration for my family's business. You will have a place to stay if you choose to come. Please allow me to pay for you, as I owe you for taking care of my friend when I could not be there myself."

"Steven, I..." Amber trailed off.

"Please. I know it is short notice, and if you cannot make it I would like to reschedule a time for you to come out here. I would like to meet you in person."

"I would love to go. Thank you so much..."

"You are very welcome. I look forward to meeting you, Miss Amber." Steven said. "I have to get going, my flight is boarding. We will talk more later."

The bathroom door opened, and Wallace walked out with a towel around his waist. He frowned when he saw Amber was still on the phone. He stopped and put a hand on his hip, watching her.

Amber glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Goodbye, Steven." She ended the call and set down the phone.

"So... how was your chat with Steven?" Wallace asked, fishing through his luggage for some clothes.

"It was nice. He seems like a great guy. You're lucky to have a friend like him."

"Huh, you speak so highly of someone you've only spoke to twice."

She couldn't tell if he was teasing or not. "I've just observed your friendship is all. I told him you two seemed like great friends and care for each other deeply, and he was very humble."

Wallace nodded in approval.

"Anyways, since you seem to be mostly recovered, are you caught up with all of last night's events?" Amber asked without skipping a beat.

Wallace kept looking at his clothes, seemingly ignoring the question, but with a slightly reddened face.

"Okay, noted." Amber leaned an elbow on the counter, her shirt pulling up past her belly button and nude bottom half. "We aren't gonna talk about how fucking sloshed you were when I found you and dragged you here, and how hot and bothered you got when I-"

"Enough." He turned to her, saw what she was doing, and furiously turned away. "Can you just give me some time, please?" Wallace sighed and walked into the bathroom to change.

 _Oh god, we're doing_ this _crap?_ Amber rolled her eyes and picked up her phone. She had some missed calls and messages from an unknown number. Reading through the texts, she learned Burgh had been trying to check up on her last night. She smirked. _Aww, he does care._

Amber sat on the bed and thought about what she would respond. She watched the shadows under the door of the bathroom and heard Wallace talking to or humming to himself, she couldn't tell which.

Her phone vibrated in her hand, and Wallace's on the counter had simultaneously gone off as well. Amber saw a email invitation link to view shared photos.

"Wallace, Viola sent out the photos from last night." she called. She started swiping through them on her phone. Wallace poked his head out the door.

"Do you mind getting dressed?" he asked.

"You want me gone so soon, huh?" Amber frowned. She didn't look up from her phone. "Come look at these."

"I don't really have the time right now." Wallace replied. "I need to get ready to head home."

"Steven said your flight isn't until later this afternoon." she said.

Wallace was obviously very frustrated with her, and being around her for some reason. He had groaned out loud in response.

"Okay, look," she said. "I'm sorry that you're upset about this. I will get going and give you some time alone if you really do need it. But I need to tell you something."

Wallace continued with his brushing and flossing.

"I uh... I was invited to tag along with you to meet Steven at his dinner party thing tonight."

"... You're kidding." he chuckled. He put his hands behind his head and kept staring into the mirror.

"Yeah... so I can give you some time now, but I will be back later and probably be spending a lot more time with you." Amber said seriously.

"... Okay. Yes, I would appreciate that."

"Uhm, do you want me to get you anything? Coffee, water... ?"

"Yeah, that would be nice..." Wallace said quietly.

He hadn't said what exactly, so she pulled on the rest of her clothes and started brewing some coffee. She poured him a glass of water and brought it to the bathroom for him.

"Thanks." he murmured. Amber nodded and returned to the kitchenette to watch the coffee brew.

 _Boy, this guy's got a lot of problems_ , Amber thought to herself. She pondered the possible origins of Wallace's issues. Perhaps he was in a relationship with Steven, and them sleeping together meant that he cheated. Or maybe he wasn't over his last ex. Maybe he was just worried about what Steven would think. Wallace seemed to have a fixation on that man.

No matter the issue, Amber wanted to try and leave on good terms with Wallace. He was supposedly a gym leader, or in the Elite 4? Amber couldn't remember. She somewhat remembered them saying Steven was, too.

Wallace was placing the last of his belongings into his suitcase. He noticed Amber was sitting at the table, lost in thought. He went to grab a mug, passing her field of vision and snapping her out of it.

"I'm probably going to check out now and head over to the airport." Wallace said, pouring the coffee. "Are... are you really coming with me to Hoenn?"

"Yes, I am." She replied. "I have to gather my things before heading over myself, so we could exchange contact information so I can find you later?"

"Sounds fine." he said.

After exchanging phone numbers, they finished their coffee in near silence. They walked out together and to the elevator, riding down two floors quietly.

"Uh... although it is fall right now, Hoenn is pretty warm year-round." Wallace advised suddenly.

"Thanks," Amber smiled, happy that he wasn't acting hostile. She stepped out of the elevator. "I will see you at the airport."

"Alright. About an hour." he added.

The doors closed and she turned and made her way to her hotel room. She hoped that Wallace would become easier to deal with as the day went on, and she began to prepare for the evening ahead.


	5. Chapter 5

The trip took approximately three and a half hours between waiting around at the airport, the actual flight, and landing in Rustboro City. The silences has become less awkward between them during this time, but they only really spoke when necessary. It was just after 5:30 when they walked out the front gate.

"So, where to?" Amber asked.

"Steven told me to head to his dad's after we landed, I think we are meeting there and heading to Devon for the party? I'm not so sure if the event is actually at the house or the office." Wallace responded. He whipped out his phone, presumably to call Steven and double check.

"Are both those places close?"

"They're both in this town." he replied.

She watched him dial Steven and hold the phone to his ear, and they were both quiet for a minute before Wallace looked down at his phone. She frowned.

"Do you live in Rustboro? Or does Steven?" Amber asked.

"Both of us actually live a ways from here. Couple hours traveling with Pokemon." Wallace replied. He glanced towards town.

"I would suggest sightseeing, but we should probably make our way towards the house? The two of us need to get changed for the party." she suggested.

"Yeah... let's just go to the house." Wallace responded.

"Is it walking distance or should we get a cab?"

"It's probably a 20-30 minute walk, if you're up to it." he glanced at her shoes, then to her luggage.

"Sure, let's go." Amber smiled.

Wallace had actually hoped she would want a cab so the trip would be shorter and less awkward, but Amber was distracted by all of the scenery to make much of a fuss.

The sun was beginning to set as the evening became night. They arrived at Steven's father's house before dark. Amber stared at the house in awe before they approached the front door.

The home of Steven's father- whose name she still didn't know- was a beautiful, ornate home. It obviously belonged to a wealthy individual, but it was more modest than most. It was more like a tiny mansion, or strangely large family home. There were many large, arched windows, a fancy gate around the property, and a lush front yard with a stone path to the front door.

Amber slowly followed the path, taking in her surroundings with a huge smile. Wallace was waiting at the front door. He studied her somewhat nervously, but Amber didn't notice.

A woman answered the door, looking at the two with confusion.

"Wallace, what are you doing here?" she asked. She was happy to see him, but she seemed confused as to why he was there.

"Hello, Lora. I'm guessing nobody's here?" Wallace asked.

"I'm afraid not. They needed Mr. Stone at Devon to assist with setup, and Steven never came back to the house with him." the woman known as Lora replied. "I was just heading there myself."

"Oh, I'm sorry. We were hoping to run into them here and possibly get changed for the party." Wallace responded.

"I could certainly let you in, if that was the initial plan." Lora smiled, holding the door open wider. Wallace walked in, Amber following. "Who is this young lady?"

"Hi, I'm Amber," she smiled, lightly shaking hands with Lora. "Friend of Wallace and Steven."

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Lora, I work for Mr. Stone." she chuckled. "Please make yourselves at home."

Wallace was familiar with the home, having been friends with Steven for years. He was already halfway up the stairs. "Amber, let's hurry up so Lora can get going."

"Okay." she called after him, nodding at Lora and hurrying up the stairs behind him.

"Take the second door on the left." Wallace said, disappearing into a different room. She followed his instructions and went inside.

The room she stepped in to was a fully furnished bedroom, although it looked like it hadn't been used in quite some time. There was a full sized bed, and a large vanity. Amber opened up her luggage and carefully extracted the dress she would wear this evening and laid it on the bed. She glanced at the door, which she had left ajar, shrugged, and stripped down to her underwear.

Amber gave herself a once-over in the full length mirror. She had made sure to wear a cute, matching set that included a bra that pushed her boobs together and made them look amazing.

From the start, she had wanted to try and get with Steven, but she didn't expect to meet him so soon, and under such circumstances. This shindig was obviously pretty important to his family and their business, so she was obligated to be on her best behavior. Amber also wanted to give a good first impression, so she figured she should probably be a little more subtle about her intentions.

Amber pulled on the dress and adjusted herself, checking the mirror for reference. She had chosen a form-fitting black dress with one shoulder, with a sweetheart cut- low-cut, of course. It was just short enough to be appropriate, but still sexy. Normally, she liked flared skirts but this one looked classy and it made her curves look fantastic. She smiled with confidence, and sat down at the vanity seat to do her hair and makeup.

She pulled her hair into loose curls, and applied some mascara. She debated some red lipstick, and put on her strappy heels while she gave it some thought. There was a knock on the door.

"You dressed?" came Wallace's voice.

"Yes~" she called, standing and looking in the full length mirror again. Wallace stepped into the room. She turned to him and smiled at his outfit.

He was wearing a purple dress shirt, black vest with a black and purple tie, and some black dress pants. Similar to his outfit from last night, but the shirt has been white, the top few buttons undone, the necktie loosened, his sleeves had been rolled up, and there wasn't a vest since the event had been more casual.

"Lookin' good, Wallace." Amber grinned.

He furrowed his brows. "Are you ready to go?"

"You're not even going to tell me how good I look?" Amber teased, spinning around for him.

"Y-You look nice." Wallace said quietly, obviously uncomfortable.

"Are we leaving our things here?" she asked.

"I think Jo- uh, Mr. Stone will be okay with it. Steven talked to him, or at least that's what he told me."

"You spoke to Steven?" Amber asked.

"Still haven't heard from him since we've landed, but it should work out. Anyways, we need to leave now if we are going to make it on time." Wallace said, exiting the room.

"Alright, I will meet you downstairs." she called after him.

Amber packed up her makeup and everything else into her suitcase and left it against the wall by the door. She headed out and started down the stairs, seeing an impatient Wallace in the foyer below.

"Hurry up, we have to walk there."

"Really? Man, you didn't tell me that." Amber sighed and scurried over. "Let's go, then."

Wallace locked the door and they started their walk to Devon.

"Mr. Stone walks to work every day." Wallace said.

"So that means it's not a very long walk?" Amber asked.

"About 15 minutes."

"Not too bad."

And then came the awkward silence again. Nothing but the sound of her heels clicking and the occasional breeze sweeping some leaves around.

They were approaching a large building, which Amber figured was the Devon Corporation they kept talking about. She knew that there was a family business, but she didn't think it'd be so huge. Small amounts of people were still filing into the building, but one man stood outside, unmoving. Amber and Wallace were still sort of far away, but she had a feeling it was Steven Stone.

As they got closer, Amber was able to distinguish more of the man's features. He was a tall, thin man with ice blue hair and was suited up nicely.

"Steven!" Wallace called. The man's eyes lit up as he turned to them and smiled wide.

"It's great to see you, Wallace." Steven said, and the two embraced like brothers. "I'm glad you're doing well."

Amber watched them with a big smile. She was happy to see their closeness, and she was also relieved that Steven was actually really handsome. And that he was the son of the CEO of a big company. And that very generous. And that he had been so intent on meeting her in person, just to give thanks. Things were shaping up nicely.

Steven turned to her and took one of her hands in both of his. "Hello, I am Steven Stone. You must be Amber." he smiled.

_Oh hell no._

"Hello, Steven. Thank you so much for inviting me."

"Thank you for accepting the invitation and gracing me with your presence. You look wonderful."

And he's charming as hell.

Wallace rolled his eyes, neither of them noticing.

Steven turned toward the entrance and nodded. "Shall we?" He bent his arm in Amber's direction, she happily wrapped her arm around it and they both made their way inside. Wallace made sure to walk on the other side of Steven, relieved to have some distance from Amber.

The trio stopped to wait at the elevator. Steven and Amber had unlinked their arms, but she still stood close to him.

"How was the flight?" Steven asked.

"Not too bad. I've never been to Hoenn before." Amber replied.

"Then you are in for a treat. I have been to every corner of this entire region, I will be sure to show you around as long as you are here." he smiled.

"That sounds great." The three stepped inside.

"I apologize for this in advance," Steven said, pushing the buttons to close the door and move up to their destination. "but since this is an event for my family's business, I will most likely be speaking to guests throughout the evening. Many are employees of the company, but my father may have invited important business partners or clients, so I will be busy unfortunately. But I would still like you two to have a good evening, so please enjoy yourselves."

"We understand." Amber said. "Take care of whatever you have to do. We will be here."

"Thank you. I will try and spend as much of the evening with you two as possible." Steven smiled.

Wallace was still shooting her sideways glances of disapproval, and they were still ignoring him almost entirely. "Congratulations again, Steven." he said loudly, turning and smiling at his friend.

"Thank you, Wallace. I am very humbled." Steven nodded.

"I'm very proud of you, this is all so exciting." Wallace continued. Amber watched the two of them, very lost.

"It is. This is going to be great for Devon."

"What happened exactly?" Amber asked.

The elevator stopped. Steven straightened his collar and tie. "We just sealed the deal for a partnership with a company in Sinnoh that will do wonders for our own."

"Steven did all of the work. He told me about it before he told his dad." Wallace smiled.

"Wow! Congratulations indeed, Steven!" Amber beamed.

"Thank you." he replied. "Let us get going, my father is expecting us." Steven put his arm out again for Amber, and she took it happily. He glanced back at his best friend with a concerned look, now acknowledging his attitude.

The three of them walked down the hallway to a large conference room, which had been rearranged to accommodate a large gathering of people. The room had large conference tables against the walls which were covered in elegant tablecloths, and on top of those were many large trays and bowls of food, separated into individual portion sizes. Smaller tables with matching tablecloths were on the other side of the room, which at a closer look Amber realized was two rooms with some sort of partition opened and removed for the illusion of one enormous room.

Immediately upon entering, Steven made a beeline for his father, weaving through many people. He held Amber's hand, leading her along, and Wallace trailed behind her.

"There you are! Where have you been, Steven?" the man who as presumably Mr. Stone beamed.

"Sorry, Father, I had to take care of something."

"Ohoho, hello Wallace!" Mr. Stone grinned and shook Wallace's hand. "Good to see you, son."

Wallace nodded and returned the greeting. Mr. Stone then turned to Amber and noted that she was standing closer to his son.

"This is our good friend, Amber." Steven said to his father.

"Hello, Amber. Pleased to meet you. I'm Joseph Stone." he shook her hand and smiled. "Steven, go get your friends something to drink!"

"Ah-! Yes, sir." Steven scurried to find some refreshments.

"Heh, the boy's nervous." Mr. Stone chuckled. "He's been pretty stressed out, but having you two here should help him relax." He placed a hand on Amber and Wallace's shoulders.

"Steven mentioned he was worried he wouldn't be able to spend time with us this evening." Amber said to his father.

"Is that so? Then perhaps we should get this over with."

Steven showed up just as his father walked away, and he watched him leave with a frown. He handed Wallace and Amber glasses of champagne.

"Are you alright, Steven?" Amber asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes.. I will be. Thank you." Steven smiled at Amber and watched as his father and Lora got the room's attention and all eyes were on Mr. Stone.

"Good evening, everyone. I am happy you were able to make it on such short notice. This event was put together in honor of Steven Stone, my son, who has taken the sole responsibility of the PokeNav expansion project." Mr. Stone turned his gaze to Steven and his friends with a warm smile. The rest of the guests also looked and cheered.

"Steven, I didn't know tonight was  _your_  night." Amber whispered to him, nudging him. "I thought it was like, your family's company's anniversary or something."

"I did in fact negotiate and seal this partnership, but it is Devon's accomplishment." Steven replied, keeping his gaze fixed on his father who had continued with his speech.

Amber nodded and sipped from her glass. As she spoke, she placed a hand on his shoulder affectionately. "You gotta quit selling yourself short. You put in the work for this. All these people are here to celebrate that. Your father is very proud of you; he put this together for you in a short period of time." The crowd was applauding once again, and Mr. Stone bowed and everyone around them resumed their previous activities.

"... Thank you, Amber. You are too kind." Steven chuckled nervously and avoided her gaze. "I suppose I am just nervous about the attention, and what my father thinks."

"Like I said, everyone is—"

"Congratulations, Steven!" a woman said excitedly, startling the two. The stranger was accompanied by her husband, who shook Steven's hand and repeated the praise.

"Thank you." Steven replied, straightening up and resuming his professional, stoic behavior.

"I'm gonna go get us something to drink, okay?" Amber smiled at him, wandering off to find somewhere to refill her glass. She found Wallace there doing the same thing.

"Heyyy, how's it going?" she nudged Wallace playfully and he shot her a dirty look. "Oh come on, are you still being a baby?"

Wallace downed his glass and started pouring another. "I can't wait until you go home and I never have to see you again."

Amber was pissed now. "Well, that's not happening any time soon. Your friend wants to take me all over Hoenn, and don't think I'm not trying to stay as long as I can."

Wallace narrowed his eyes. "No, he's not. I'll tell him what you're up to, and he won't even bother with you after that."

"What's it to you, anyway? I'm not fucking you." she glared at him. "Maybe I should have let that guy beat you up. I didn't know you were a such dick." Amber turned and walked away with two full glasses for her and Steven.

"Hey!" Wallace called after her and followed. Some people turned their attention to the bickering pair.

"Shut your mouth. You don't want to ruin your best friend's day by causing a scene. He wouldn't like that." Amber hissed at him.

"Piss off, he isn't going to fall for your bullshit. Just you wait."


	6. Chapter 6

Wallace was trying his best to stay awake in his drunken state. He still hadn't had time to speak to Steven privately, so he couldn't warn him about Amber's intentions. He would continue cockblocking as best as he could until he had that chance.

Currently, he was crammed in the back seat of a car, with Steven in between him and Amber, Mr. Stone in the front seat, and Mr. Stone's secretary Lora was driving.

 _I'm a good friend_ , he kept reassuring himself, as he rested his head on Steven's shoulder.

The last few hours had been hell for him at the party. He and Amber were fighting for Steven's attention, all while trying to allow him to have his small talk with Devon clients and coworkers, and not look like huge tools. In between all of this, both Wallace and Amber were slamming drinks and refilling theirs and Steven's (although, they only ever needed to top off Steven's glass.)

When they arrived back at the Stone house, Mr. Stone thanked Lora again for the ride and led the way into the house.

"Alright kids, you're all welcome to stay here. Make yourselves comfortable. You know where everything is." he smiled as they all entered. He took off his coat and draped it over the back of a couch, then headed over to start the fireplace.

"I can take care of that." Steven offered, following.

"No, you're gonna go pour us some scotch." his dad chuckled, kneeling.

"Dad, wait-"

"Steven, your friends are hammered. That's not fair."

"We're right here, you know." Wallace said from the couch that he was cozying into.

"That's 'cause you can't make it up the stairs by yourselves." Mr. Stone laughed and clapped Steven on the back. "Go on, grab some glasses for your friends, too."

"Yes, sir."

Mr. Stone sunk into a large, comfortably worn armchair near the fire. "So, friend Amber, where are you from?"

"I'm from Johto." Amber replied, focusing on her words to make sure she was speaking coherently. "Goldenrod City."

"Ahh." Mr. Stone said. She actually wasn't sure if it was in response to what she said, or from Steven handing him a drink. She figured it was the latter, and glanced at Wallace as he placed his drink on the coffee table without a sip. He was sprawled on the couch with one arm raised over his head.

Steven handed her a glass and sat beside her. "You don't have to drink it," he whispered, watching his dad.

"You ought to relax a bit, son. I saw how tense you were today. And this was supposed to be a fun, congratulatory party! Not any kind of important business meeting." Mr. Stone was waving his hands as he spoke. He picked up the bottle Steven had brought out off the table and poured himself another glass. "All for you, too."

"I apologize for my behavior." Steven said.

"Don't get me wrong, Steven. I am proud of your accomplishment, and happy that you're helping with the family business. I hope this continues." Mr. Stone smiled, raising his glass. Steven and Amber raised their glasses, and everyone glanced at Wallace, who was asleep with his mouth agape.

"Well, it looks like it's bedtime. Good night, kids." Mr. Stone set his glass on the coffee table and grabbed his coat. "It was a pleasure." He smiled and shook Amber's hand before heading up the stairs. As soon as he was out of earshot, Steven sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Before Amber was able to say anything, Steven got up and kneeled down to untie Wallace's shoes. She watched him take each shoe and gently put them beside the couch and he took the throw blanket draped over the couch and covered his sleeping friend. He then went to put out the fire.

"You two are very close." Amber observed out loud. She realized she spoke, because Steven had turned to her. "You and Wallace." she made sure to add.

"Yes. We have been friends for many years." Steven replied, watching the flickering flames.

"It just seems like you take care of him like this often." Amber continued. "He called you up when he was drunk and emotionally distressed, and now he's passed out on your couch fully clothed."

Steven was quiet for a moment. "He's had a rough time lately. Much of my time has been occupied with this recent business venture, so I haven't been able to really  _be_  there for him. We often rely on each other for support, and my failure to be that friend has caused me even more stress."

"Shit. I'm sorry." Amber said. She noticed his formal speech pattern was dwindling slightly. Perhaps he was finally relaxing? It was worrying her slightly, and upsetting her. She had been looking forward to seducing the fancy man and she had loved the image in her mind of a flustered Steven in a sexual situation. But now he's acting all squishy and it's... concerning her?  _What the hell is this? It's gotta be the booze. I feel sick._

"No need to apologize. It's not really your fault." he chuckled, watching the last of the smoke rise from the extinguished fire, then standing. "Do you need help upstairs?"

"No, I thi-" Amber started to stand, but her foot went sideways, her heels making the drop more dramatic. She fell forward, sticking her arm out to brace herself on the coffee table. "-nk I've got it."

Steven was trying not to laugh. "Okay, good night then." He turned and started toward the staircase.

"Wait!" Amber cried out, sounding way too panicked. She looked down at her feet as if they were the problem, and she cursed at her legs because she could hardly feel them. Suddenly, giving her a bit of a scare to be honest, Steven swept her up off her feet bridal style and carried her up the stairs. "What's that all about?"

"Oh, please. It would have taken you hours to get up here in those god forsaken shoes." Steven chuckled, pushing open the guest bedroom door that Amber changed in earlier. He set her on the bed.

"Normally, it isn't an issue." she said, raising her knee to unhook her shoe. Now that she was in a mentally comfortable, sleepy state, she didn't quite realize she set up a great panty shot for her male companion who was standing in front of her.

He stepped back awkwardly. "Alright. Please don't hesitate if you need anything. I'm down the hall, two doors down."

"Aww, you're leaving?" Amber kicked her legs up on the bed. "At least hang out with me until I fall asleep." She moved over and patted the spot next to her.

"... Alright." Steven said hesitantly, sitting on the edge.

"Up!" she whined.

"Okay." he removed his shoes and adjusted to mimic her position, sitting upright with his legs flat.

Now, he was worried about a myriad of things. What expectations were just set? For some reason, he really didn't want to disappoint her. He couldn't have said no. He owed her his company since he brought her out here, but he also instinctively worried about other things. His father raised him to value first impressions and reputation above all things, which made him feel the need to be there.

Steven also worried about tarnishing his relationship with Wallace. He really did want to ask if his friend had feelings for this woman, and if he did, Steven didn't want to stand in his way. But there was no way he could get that answer immediately, so Steven had to play this as platonically as possible, even though he was finally easing up and could use a good cuddle.

"What is that?" Amber asked, pulling him from his thoughts. She was looking at the round, glimmering stone on his lapel.

Steven's eyes lit up. He plucked the pin and handed it to her. "That's my mega stickpin. The stone is very rare. If you have an incredibly strong bond with your Pokemon, and they also have a similar stone, that Pokemon could potentially mega evolve."

"Mega evolve?" she inquired, turning the pin to view the many shining colors.

"Personally, I use it to mega evolve my Metagross." Steven smiled proudly. "My Metagross holds a stone called Metagrossite."

"That sounds like a really strong Pokemon." Amber said in awe. She laid on her side facing him, propping herself up on an elbow. "No wonder you're the champion. What other Pokemon do you have? Do they mega evolve?"

"I don't mega evolve my other Pokemon. Some of them might have the potential to, though." Steven answered. "I mostly use steel types. What about yourself?"

Amber froze. "I uh... I don't really battle Pokemon."

Steven frowned. "Sorry. I figured that you were a trainer because of the expo. What events were you interested in there? Contests perhaps?"

"I was just kinda... checking it out." she mumbled. There was a moment of silence. "I do have Pokemon though! They're... just at home. My neighbor is a trainer and he looks after them for me sometimes."

"Oh? What Pokemon are they?" Steven asked.

"I have an Eevee that my dad gave me. He said it's special. My neighbor also helped me catch a Mareep."

"Eevee, is that right? Have you considered evolving your Eevee?"

"What does it evolve into?" Amber asked.

Steven smiled. "Eevee can evolve into many different Pokemon." He pulled out his PokeNav and did some searching before showing her images of Eevee and its evolutions. "I could easily assist you if you wanted to evolve it into Vaporeon, Flareon, or Jolteon. Those evolutions simply require stones, which I would be happy to give you."

"Oh wow, that's very kind of you. Thank you so much. I have to think on it, though." Amber said.

"Of course. It's a big decision that needs time and thought." Steven said.

"Right." Amber shuffled a little closer. "Where did you get all these stones?" She handed back the stickpin.

"I found them all myself. I seek out and collect rare stones. I've been to every corner of Hoenn. Traveling all over for my hobby is much more appealing than working in an office all day." Steven said, examining the stickpin similarly to how Amber had been.

"Don't like working at the family company, huh?"

"Not really. But, I have to appease my father after all, so on occasion I drop in and contribute to a project." Steven continued. "This one in particular that we celebrated today was one I initiated, and my father seems to believe that I am doing a 180 with my life and working exclusively at Devon."

"How do you manage to balance everything? Being champion, working at the company, doing your hobby, babysitting your friend..." Amber trailed off. "That's really stressful."

"Yes... I am quite busy. But, I'm an adult, so I've got to do it." he laughed it off.

"Sorry for bringing up such awful shit... Tell me more about your stones?" she asked.

Steven flashed another beautiful smile. "I collect many different stones, not just ones for Pokemon evolution." He began to give her details about his favorite stones and his most recent finds. He recalled the places he visited to find them, and people he met. Amber nodded along, giving the occasional "mhmm," or "wow," as she curled up closer and fell asleep to his stories.

It took Steven a few minutes to notice that Amber had fallen asleep. He finally trailed off when he glanced at her and saw that she was fast asleep, snuggled up to him. He adjusted slightly, trying to slip out of her grasp without disturbing her.

He watched her sleep for a moment before exiting to his old bedroom. He picked a book off the shelf and brought it with him to the bed, but decided to try and sleep instead. Steven knew his friends weren't going to feel too good in the morning, so he needed to get some rest to ensure he was awake and ready to deal with them.

He sighed and thought about all of the things he needed to discuss with Wallace. The two friends hadn't been spending as much time together as they used to, so there was a lot to talk about. Steven rolled over and tried to ignore the questions and concerns swirling around his head and get some much needed rest.


	7. Chapter 7

Wallace finally cut the crap and approached her. He still seemed a bit drunk, but Amber would take it anyway.  _I knew he was into me._  With surprising force, he started kissing her and pushed up against her. Amber stumbled backwards until she bumped into something. It wasn't quite a wall, but she didn't have time to think with Wallace's tongue in her mouth.

Wallace broke the kiss and yanked the top of her dress down, her breasts hardly being contained by the strapless bra that came down with it.

At the same time, another pair of hands were suddenly on her. Delicate fingers caressed her face and tilted her head back, and Amber felt a pang surge through her body when she was staring Steven in the face. She opened her mouth to speak, but didn't make a sound. Words betrayed her much like her body had, both frozen and unresponsive.

She watched him watch her. He had lust in his eyes, a sight she never imagined possible. Her panic had resided and she now desperately wanted to shove her tongue into his mouth. The demand was unrequited, and as if Steven knew she was thinking it, he moved instead to kiss at her neck, teasing her and making her want him so much more.

Unable to move, or even react, Amber stood still, allowing the two men to do as they please. One of Steven's hands had moved through her hair and was now lightly tugging a handful of her red locks and he continued trailing kisses along her neck and collarbone. She was making the slightest sounds of pleasure, but they sounded restrained, as if someone was covering her mouth to keep her quiet.

Meanwhile, Wallace was on his knees tugging her tight, form fitting dress up to her waist, revealing her black, lacy panties. He traced her pussy with one finger through the underwear, making her shiver. Noting her reaction, he repeated the motion. Amber writhed and tried to close her legs, but they hardly moved. She tried to cry out, but very little sound was emitted.

She glanced down when she felt her panties slipping down her legs. Wallace left them at her ankles, and kept her heels on. He met her gaze and smirked, admiring the view.

"What's the matter?" he cooed, running his fingers up her inner thigh. "Don't like being teased?"

Amber was still trying to move and speak, but to no avail. She wasn't physically bound in any way, she just felt like her limbs were so, so heavy. She let out another strained groan.

Steven was now behind her, rubbing one of her nipples between his fingers, the other hand on her chin. He moved his index finger to her slightly parted lips and slid it into her mouth. Amber closed her lips tightly and swirled her tongue around his finger, eagerly trying to tell him that she was interested.

"Ah." Steven chuckled. He obliged her with a second finger. "Naughty girl."

Wallace was stroking the outside of her pussy, earning some fluids. Steven removed his now lubricated fingers and rubbed them on her clit, causing Amber to double over and finally cry out in unrestricted pleasure. He moved with expertise, stimulating her much more than she expected. Her knees buckled as she let herself drop, finally relaxing her body and allowing herself to be immersed.

And then, she woke up.

Amber was curled up fetal-style on the bed in an unfamiliar bedroom. She was panting, and quickly stopped when she realized she wasn't actually getting finger banged by Steven. She groggily tried to sit up on her elbows but her body was incredibly sore and hard to move. She groaned and laid back to try and recollect her thoughts, covering her face to hide her embarrassment.

~~~ Earlier that morning ~~~

Steven's internal clock woke him at an early hour. He sighed. This was the usual for him these days; staying up until he fell asleep at his desk around 3am or so, and waking at 6am on the dot to finish more work before getting ready for that meeting, or this appointment, or whatever it was. He was straight up exhausted.

Last night was not much different, but now he was over the hump. All that work was finally done, and he hoped that it would be smooth sailing from here on out. He had come back to his room to go to bed around 2:30 and although he was exhausted, Steven only got a few hours of sleep. He stepped out of the room and caught his father walking down the hallway.

"Morning, son. Will I be seeing you at work today?" asked Mr. Stone.

"I am not coming in today." Steven replied. His father gave him a look, so he quickly added, "I will be doing some work at home this evening."

"Alright. Have a good day." He clapped his son on the back before heading down the stairs. Steven waited for him to leave the house before descending. He went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, and took a bottle of water out of the fridge. Steven proceeded to the living room to check on Wallace, who was stirring.

Steven opened the water bottle and handed it to Wallace, who carefully took it in both hands and drank nearly half the bottle. He handed it back and wiped his mouth on his sleeve, then laid back down and covered his face with an arm.

"Coffee is brewing." Steven said, putting the bottle down on the table.

"Marvelous." Wallace mumbled.

Steven rolled his eyes. "What are we all doing today?" he asked, taking a seat and watching his friend carefully.

"All?" Wallace asked, uncovering an eye to look at his friend.

"You, myself, and Amber."

"Wh- oh, uhh..." he sat up again and rubbed his eyes. "Wait, why is she my problem? You're the one who dragged her out here."

"That I did." Steven nodded, putting his hand to his chin in thought. "It sounds like you have no interest in spending any more time with her."

"I don't." Wallace said. "And you shouldn't either."

"Why?"

Wallace was unprepared to answer this question, but it was the chance he has been waiting for. He just woke up and his head was pounding, how was he going to get his thoughts in order to convince his friend?

"Because... she's rude! And manipulative!" Wallace blurted out in panic. "She has no business being here and she isn't honest!"

"Oh, Wallace..." Steven sighed.

"She has been telling you lies Steven! Don't listen to anything she says. You gotta get rid of her right away. Just drop her off at the airport and never speak to her again. She is an awful person!" Wallace continued to slander Amber, spewing word after word as they came to mind.

"Wallace." Steven looked his best friend in the eyes and held him by the shoulders, silencing him. "Listen to yourself. You are talking about Winona. You are projecting your negative feelings onto this woman. She is not your ex girlfriend."

Wallace's eyes widened. "Are you kidding me? Is that what you think this is?!" He shoved Steven away.

"Almost certainly. You said those same things when she left." he smoothed out his sleeves. "I don't know if you are doing it because you like Amber and are in denial, or if you just can't handle a friendship with a woman right now."

Wallace shook his head and laughed. "This is ridiculous. I'm trying to get you to stay away from her! Don't tell me you aren't trying to pull your pretty rich boy bullshit on her."

Steven narrowed his eyes. "I respect women, and I have a reputation to uphold. My behavior at the party last night was simply to impress on behalf of Devon. She was one of my guests." he paused for a second. "Besides, I thought you two were an item. Or you were at least pursuing her. I didn't want to get in your way."

"Oh, please." Wallace scoffed. "I want nothing to do with her."

"So... you're telling me you have no interest in Amber, and you are not pursuing her?" Steven asked.

"No," Wallace grumbled. "But that doesn't mean you should. I know what you were trying to do."

"Wallace," Steven started, carefully choosing his words. "We have been friends for many years. We can confide in each other, and we are always there to help each other. As of late, I have been much, much more giving in that regard. I haven't had anyone to lean on recently in my time of need."

Wallace watched his friend with a slightly confused expression, wondering how it was related to what they were previously discussing.

"Right now, I really need you to get ahold of yourself." Steven stood up. "I am sorry I did not get you the help you needed earlier. This exchange has opened my eyes. I will help you get rehabilitation for your drinking. You need to be sober to be yourself again, then you will be able to be the friend I need."

"Whoa there, champion." Wallace waved his hands around. "I'm right here! Ol' Wallace, your beloved best friend. What's going on with you?" he asked. "You can tell me anything, you know."

"Sorry my friend, but it will have to wait. I know you are here... but you do need help." He turned to Wallace. "I really am worried. Your hostility and emotional outbursts are not normal. You have been drinking every day since your relationship ended."

Wallace thought about it. It probably was true, even though he couldn't really remember. Steven wouldn't lie to him. He frowned back at his friend.

"Okay, maybe I have been. But what's that have to do with-"

"Wallace." Steven was seething now. "I am tired of this. No more. Please. I cannot do this anymore. You need professional help."

Wallace sighed. "Okay, but-"

"Enough! Either accept my help, or promise to do it on your own. Those are your options. If not, then leave." Steven was stressed enough already, but finally confronting his friend about his issues was breaking him. He slipped up and let himself get angry about it. He was extremely frustrated, but he felt progress was finally being made, and that a huge weight was being lifted.

Wallace obviously wasn't getting anywhere. His attempts to redirect the subject were fruitless. Even though this entire conversation stemmed from getting sidetracked. "Alright. I'll do it for you."

Steven facepalmed. "Do it for yourself, Wallace." He turned away. "Please, help yourself to some coffee in a travel mug. I will see you later." He ascended the stairs without turning back, hoping his friend would get the message.

He knocked on Amber's door. He heard a faint groan from the other side. "Amber, it's Steven, may I come in?" He waited a moment, and after hearing a grunt that sounded like an "mhmm" he slowly opened the door and walked inside.

Amber was lying in the middle of the bed, her back to him. She couldn't look at him right now, not without completely making a fool of herself. All of her wriggling around throughout the night made her dress ride up, so the bottom of her ass cheeks were hanging out. Steven awkwardly looked away.

"Good morning. Could I get you some water, or coffee?" he asked.

"That sounds great." Amber replied. "I'd like to take a shower too if that's alright."

"Certainly. I'd like you to have some water first. I will bring some for you." Steven turned to the door. "The bathroom is across the hall. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thank you." she smiled to herself as he closed the door behind him. She took a moment to pull herself up before going to her suitcase to gather her clothes. She settled on the outfit she wore yesterday afternoon since it was only worn for the few hours. She brought them across the hall and examined her disheveled self in the mirror.

Steven came back with a towel and two bottles of water and knocked on the door frame to get her attention, startling her. "Oh, I apologize."

"No, it's okay. I was uh... lost in thought." Amber said, looking at him in the mirror to avoid direct eye contact. Her face was reddening, so she quickly grabbed the items from him and started chugging one of the bottles.

"I'll let you be." Steven chuckled and grabbed the doorknob. "See you shortly." He closed it behind him.

Amber started the shower and finished the first bottle. She peeled her dress off and stepped into the stream, enjoying the warm water. She hoped the images of her dream would melt away, at least slightly. She really didn't want that at the forefront of her mind while she was trying to play her game. With Steven, she would have to play it cool to impress him, instead of throwing herself at him, she thought.

Amber felt he would be more of a challenge for her than most guys were. Steven would lose all interest if she did something silly or made a move too fast, because he really seemed to worry about what other people think of him, especially his father. Normally, she would be a little less subtle. If they weren't in his father's house, she probably would have teased him and tried to drag him into the shower with her or something.

She sighed, and hoped that today she would get the chance to drop some hints. Amber had to work quickly, not knowing how long she would be sticking around for. She conspired while trying to hurry and get ready for the day, reminding herself to keep her behavior in check in front of others. She also weighed the option of trying to reenact her naughty dream.  _Perhaps, if it's appropriate._


	8. Chapter 8

"Wow, so how many trainers did you end up facing trying to get out of the cave?" Amber asked, eagerly sipping away at her fourth mimosa.

Steven continued his story, waving his arms around as he spoke, the champagne in his glass swishing around. "Quite a few. They were no match for Metagross, but we still obliged." He smirked triumphantly and took a sip from his glass. "After finally leaving Mount Mortar, I went back to Ectruteak to examine the samples. The pitchstone was definitely my favorite from the trip."

"I can't believe you were that close to where I live." Amber laughed. "Did you happen to stop by Goldenrod at all? Visiting the radio tower, or getting your gambling fix? Challenging the gym?"

"I didn't during that particular trip, but I've been there before. There's a lot to see." he gazed out the window at the sea. "I would love to go again sometime."

"Well, I hope when that time comes, you call me up." Amber smiled and also looked outside.

Earlier that morning, Steven had made plans to take Amber to brunch at a restaurant he loved in a town called Lilycove. The restaurant was situated inside a lighthouse with a perfect view overlooking the beach and sea. Amber was also excited about the Lilycove Department Store, which would be their next destination following the meal. She was curious about the fashion in the Hoenn region and was looking forward to getting some new attire, considering the limited amount of clothing she brought for her unexpectedly extended trip.

"Another glass of orange juice for you, miss?" the waitress's voice broke the two out of their trance.

"Ah, no thank you. I think we were just getting ready to go?" she asked, looking at Steven.

"Yes," he nodded, handing a card to the waitress.

"Right. I'll be just a moment, Mr. Stone." she smiled and scurried off.

"Sounds like you're a regular here." Amber chuckled. "How many girls do you bring here every week?"

"Nonsense. You think I have the time for a social life?"

Amber paused for a moment, unsure if it was a joke. "Well, I don't know you  _too_  well, but this doesn't seem like a normal day in the life of Steven Stone."

"You are correct. Although, today I decided to uh, 'take it easy.'" he quickly scribbled on the receipt and rose from his seat, waving at the waitress as they departed.

"Well that's nice. I'm glad you're spending your day off with me." Amber grinned, walking beside him and nudging him as they exited the restaurant. "Too bad Wallace couldn't make it. Where is he, anyway? Aren't you guys supposed to be catching up?"

Steven inhaled sharply, sounding almost pained by her inquiry. "Believe it or not, Wallace is also a busy man. I doubt I'll be seeing him any time soon."

Bewildered at his response, Amber stopped in her tracks. Steven continued, even picking up his pace.

"What's going on?" Amber asked, pulling on his hand to stop him. "He was dying to see you, what happened?"

"Nothing, why would you think such a thing?" Steven said, avoiding eye contact.

Amber looked around to make sure they were alone. "Cut the crap. Tell me why you aren't seeing your best friend."

Steven looked up and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a heavy sigh. Amber saw pain in his eyes and she swore it looked like he was holding back tears.  _Oh good, an emotional drunk._  She always had trouble being the reassuring type, but this was a great opportunity for her. She squeezed his shoulder and he lowered his gaze to the pavement. Amber guided him to a nearby bench as he began to speak.

"It's just so... frustrating, trying to help someone you care for so deeply." Steven looked down at his hands in his lap, pulling at the rings on his fingers as he spoke. "I feel like I've let him down, but I also feel hurt."

There was a pause. Steven still wouldn't look at her, so she scooted closer and put a hand over his.

"It's not really my business to be saying such things," Steven croaked, looking up suddenly. "but it is needed for context." He cleared his throat.

"Wallace was in a relationship with a woman. Completely smitten. They were seeing each other for a few months. Then, Wallace challenged the Pokemon League. He defeated me, the champion. Wallace turned down the title, but the news had spread, and rumors were started."

"Such as?" Amber asked.

"There were rumors that I threw the match. That because we are such close friends, I let him beat me. I, of course, praised my friend for his victory and had nothing but good things to say about him. But people have always talked and some even claimed that the two of us... were together. People love to gossip. They sometimes stopped me in the streets to ask how my boyfriend was doing, and they did the same to Wallace."

Steven took out his phone and pulled up photos of him and Wallace that were paparazzi-like. Amber gaped as she watched him scroll through the photos. There was one that appeared to be Wallace sitting on a serpent-like Pokémon in the water with Steven on the shore, hand outstretched and almost touching Wallace's. He appeared to be helping his friend step off the Pokémon. Their expressions showed they were happy to see each other and that they hadn't seen each other in a while.

"These were taken without our knowledge and posted online." Steven swiped and there were more photos as the scene progressed; Wallace taking his hand and stepping off, the two hugging each other and then walking off together. Another set of photos showed them dining at a restaurant together, and so forth. "Someone who believed Wallace and I had an intimate relationship was trying to use these to prove their point. Fabricated stories followed the photos, I'm sure you can guess the content."

"After the photos turned up, Wallace tried to address the problem by publicly announcing that he was dating Winona, the gym leader of Fortree. That caused people to begin harassing her. They would ask about Wallace's infidelity, and mock her and say that their relationship was a cover up. They would also ask her things such as 'how does it feel knowing you're not as great a trainer as him?' They called her weak, Amber. They asked her if  _she_  could challenge the league and defeat the champion. They were awful to her."

"How many 'they's are we talking about? Was it the occasional heckler, or mobs of people harassing her?" Amber asked.

"Certainly not that many people, but it was too overwhelming for her. She told Wallace she was upset, and he did everything he could to show her he did love her and that none of those things were true. She had worked hard to earn her title of gym leader, but she felt pressured and inadequate. Winona eventually broke up with him and said it was because he was smothering her, but it turns out she had started seeing someone else before she confronted Wallace..."

"Winona cheated on him?"

"She said it was because he was cheating on her." Steven shrugged. "And this whole break up just sent Wallace into a downward spiral. He started drinking much more frequently, he would show up to his gym late and belligerent, he just disappeared for a couple of days once..."

"Oh my god. I had no idea..." Amber recalled his drunken antics the night she met Wallace. The way he acted made much more sense now.

"He was broken. I tried to be there for him, but he was just getting worse. We were always there for each other over the years, but he needed me then more than ever. Wallace had previous relationships, but Winona was different. He really cared about her. They were so... intimate. All of this was around the time I picked up the project for Devon, so I was in conference calls all day and doing research... every spare moment I had, I called him. If I had enough time, I would visit him in Sootopolis to check up on him. All of my free time was devoted to him. I was so worried about his well-being..."

Amber took one of his hands and grazed her thumb across his fingers to comfort Steven.

"I was stressed from my own personal issues. I constantly reached out and tried to help Wallace. I was just... so selfish. How could I think my problems were worse than his? I truly wanted him to just ask me once, 'how are you doing?' Anything to let me know that he still cared about me... I had no one but Wallace, but he couldn't help himself, so how could he help anyone else?"

"I'm so sorry, Steven."

"I didn't want him to go to the convention alone. He went anyway, and I regretted not being able to go. He called me, sobbing. I didn't know what to do... what could I do from so far away?"

Amber pieced together the details from that night. The torment Wallace had faced from Grimsley, the blubbering in the hallway, his reaction to her advances.

Steven turned to look directly at her. "Thank you so much, Amber. You probably saved his life. Who knows what would have happened." he said sincerely.

Her heart swelled at his praise. She looked away nervously. "Y-You're welcome. I'm just happy I was able to help."

Steven cleared his throat again. "I also wanted to apologize for my behavior." he straightened up and gave a shaky exhale. "I was... taking it a little too easy."

"Are you saying you regret drinking so much champagne?" Amber chuckled.

"That may have been a contributing factor. I just got a little too comfortable is all."

"And why is that a bad thing? You need to relax every once in a while too, you know. You just told me how stressed out you are and you're finally taking some time off to do something that's not work or babysitting your friend. Don't apologize for taking your well-deserved time off. You're not selfish for taking care of yourself."

Steven cocked his head and held his chin. "I suppose so."

"Oh, come on. Let's just hang out today, okay? Maybe you can help me set up that PokeNav you gave me earlier." Amber smiled.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of shopping around Lilycove. Amber purchased several new outfits and Steven perused the stores for Pokemon items. After visiting the many shops Steven had them take the ferry across the sea to Mossdeep. He carried her shopping bags for her and they walked around the city, Steven pointing out things of interest such as the Space Center and the gym. They stopped at a small cliff overlooking the beach and caught the end of the sunset. They watched it quietly and suddenly Steven broke the silence.

"This is where you will be staying." he said.

Amber turned around to look at him. He was gesturing to a tall building behind them. She suddenly panicked.

"Oh, that's okay! I can just sleep on your couch or something. No need for that." She laughed nervously.

"Please, do not worry about it. I had Lora send over your suitcase. Everything is in your room already, and they should be expecting you."

"I just…" Amber was at a loss for words. How was she going to get out of spending the night alone?

Steven saw her frown and confusion and tried to console her. "You can come over to my place in the morning. Whenever you wake up and are ready to. We can have breakfast together. I live just over there, the house with the stone fence." Steven smiled, trying to reassure her. She frowned even more. "Amber… what is wrong?"

"I…"  _Maybe he will feel bad if I play it up a little_. "I was just hoping to spend more time with you this evening…"

"I apologize. I have some work to do this evening. We can spend time together tomorrow."

Amber blinked a few times, trying to hold back tears, or at least pretend to. She reached for her bags, still in Steven's hands.

"Miss Amber. I will still escort you inside and to your room." Steven said nervously, still concerned for her behavior.

"Okay," she turned and headed for the door, Steven following.  _Now I have more time, think!_

"Ah, hello Mr. Steven." A woman at the desk smiled at the two. "Is this your guest Lora booked?"

"Yes, Miss Claire." Steven smiled. "This is Miss Amber. Please take good care of her."

"As always." Claire smiled. "Hello, Miss Amber."

"Hello." Amber awkwardly smiled back.

Claire typed on her computer and placed a key card on the counter. "Hector is on his way to help you with your bags, Miss Amber. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Oh, no need for that." Steven said. "I was going to assist Miss Amber."

"Nonsense, Mr. Steven." Claire waved her hand. "We'll take care of it."

Amber felt her heart sink. Panic rose again. Her hand darted to Steven's arm.

"I appreciate your offer, Miss Claire. Miss Amber is a personal guest that I would like to escort." Steven stated. He guided Amber towards the elevator, taking the key card on the counter.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Mr. Steven." Claire apologized profusely.

"Thank you, Miss Claire." Steven nodded as they stepped into the elevator. When the doors closed, he sighed. "I apologize, Miss Amber."

"Why are you still talking like that?" Amber asked coldly.

Steven was astonished by her tone. He was going to start speaking when Amber cut him off.

"Earlier, you told me you would stop the formal talk around me," she said.

"I..." Steven looked flustered. "I-I'm sorry. I thought I explained my situation to you."

The doors opened, and the two stepped out. Steven glanced at the key card to find the direction of the room. He led them to the right.

"Well, it sounds like we need to talk," Amber said indignantly.

Steven looked around. "Amber, please," he hushed. He swiped the key card and pushed open the door, ushering her inside. Closing the door and shuffling inside, he placed her bags on the table. "Now, what were you saying?"

"What are you afraid of?" Amber mused.

Steven pondered her question. "I suppose you are referring to your earlier question?" He held his chin in his hands. "What was that again?"

Amber rolled her eyes. "I don't understand. This afternoon you were different, but now in Mossdeep, you are putting on an act. Your formal speech and behavior, that I asked you not to use around me. I want us to be friends. You don't have to act this way around me."

"It's not you." He stated. "That woman downstairs, and others around here, they know me as the Steven that my father raised."

"So, they know the act you're putting on for the benefit of your family's company."

"It's about the reputation, yes. And I must be going." Steven turned towards the door.

Amber frowned. "Oh, do you not want to stay more than a moment because someone saw you come in?"

Steven froze. "I have work I need to do."

"What is 'Miss Claire' going to say if you stay a few minutes? Is she gonna call the press? Or your father?"

Steven's eyes narrowed. "Please keep your voice down. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I am still wrapping up business with Poketch. You know, the thing we were celebrating last night."

"And I can't come? You don't have a laptop you can bring here? I thought you invited me out here to hang out with me and show me all around Hoenn, as a thank you or whatever. I have nothing to do out here Steven." Amber retorted. "I don't have my Pokemon. I don't know anyone here."

"It's just for the evening, I-"

"Whatever, I'll just call Wallace." Amber pulled out her phone.

Steven sighed heavily. "Okay. You can come home with me. But I'm telling you, you're going to be bored."


	9. Chapter 9

"I apologize for the mess; I rarely have guests." Steven said, flicking on the light as he entered his home.

Amber was surprised that the home of Steven Stone was not what she thought it would be. It was a small and modest one-story home overlooking the beach on a cliff side; it had a stone fence surrounding its boundary and had cobblestone accents.

Inside the home, furniture was sparse. Most of the interior furniture consisted of the display shelves and cases lining the walls, all containing various stones. There appeared to only be one bedroom and bathroom, and the living and kitchen areas were open plan. Steven had a tall kitchen counter separating the kitchen hard wood floor from the living room carpet, but no barstools to accompany its height.  _No kitchen dining area?_

There was a corner desk, which seemed to be where Steven spent most of his time. The leather swivel chair had a butt indent from being occupied for so long, and there were papers strewn across the desk beside a computer. The computer was on and was showing a default screensaver.

There was no television, photos or any decor other than the display cases. There was a love seat that was similar in style to the couches they sat on at his father's house. A dark oak end table sat at one end, a long ago abandoned glass half full of some drink sat there on a coaster.

"Sorry. It's probably not what you were expecting." Steven laughed nervously. "But make yourself at home."

"Thanks." Amber said. She finished her once over of the place and stepped inside.

"May I get you a beverage?" He asked, stripping off his suit coat. He removed his mega stickpin from the lapel and placed it in a dish on the counter.

"Whatcha got? Alcohol, I hope?" Amber asked, sitting on the love seat. Steven wrinkled his nose in response. She saw his reaction. "What? I'm on vacation."

Steven opened a cabinet and stepped aside so she could see. It was fully stocked with what looked like many different wines, some had pretty ribbons and wrapping, appearing to be gifts that were untouched. He pulled them forward and started reading labels to her.

"What do you think, hun?" Amber asked, removing her shoes.

Steven hummed uncomfortably for a second. He felt some heat in his cheeks. "Would you prefer red or white?" He asked, brushing off her comment.

"White sounds good."

Steven opened a bottle of chardonnay and poured her a glass, taking it to her and swapping it out for the half full glass already on the table. Amber was now draped over the couch.

"Where's yours?" She asked, taking the glass.

"I'm going to be working, I couldn't," he responded.

"You're no fun," she groaned.

Steven hesitated. "Sorry. Maybe later?" He suggested hopefully.

She smiled back. "'Kay."

Steven sat down at his desk and Amber whipped out her phone again. When she had pulled it out in the hotel room, she had tons of notifications so now she had a chance to look through them while Steven was busy.

She was tagged in several photos from the party and was getting notifications every time someone reacted to them. Amber happily read through all the positive messages about her and how good she looked, and she remembered how fun that night had been as she swiped through the photos.

Amber also had texts from an unknown sender she received yesterday that were still unread. She looked through them, trying to figure out who it was.

_I'm really sorry about the other night. I was so unsure and worried and I feel awful about it now._

_I'd like to talk if that's okay. Clear some things up._

_I understand if you're not interested. Sorry again. I wanted to try and be friends._

She scrolled back and forth through the message chain while he thought. Hmm. That must be what's-his-name… She went back to look through the photos.  _Yeah, Burgh, that's the one_. She looked through all the photos of him before responding to his messages. Had to make sure he was worth the second take, right?

 _Hey sweetie. It's been a rough couple days. We'll talk later (:_  She typed. "Later" was the key word. She didn't want her phone blowing up while she's working out her latest conquest.

Now, how was she going to do that again? Amber pondered to herself for a moment. Perhaps she could get sloshed and he'll make her stay the night to take care of her.  _Hopefully he will actually keep his word about spending some time together when he's finished..._  From what she's gathered, Steven had been working himself ragged over this damned project.  _He's probably just going to work all night and forget about me_. She furrowed her brows and watched him.

Steven appeared to be scrolling through e-mails, probably work-related correspondence. Surely he had some sort of company tablet he could do that on?  _Why did we have to come back here..._  she thought. Amber sighed and sat up, leaning forward with her glass in hand.

"So what are you working on?" She asked innocently.

"Ah... well, right now I am reading over some of the contract details once again." He spun in his chair to face her. "I am waiting for a message from someone at Devon in regards to the branding and advertising we will have for the Sinnoh launch."

"Does everyone else work as late as you do?" Amber chuckled. They had seen the sun go down, so surely the work day was over, she thought.

"Not exactly. I wanted to be prepared for tomorrow."

"What's going on tomorrow?"

"I will be going to a meeting in the morning and discussing these things with the rest of the team assigned to this project."

"Ah, and this all can't wait until the morning meeting?"

Steven frowned. "I am in charge of the project. I must be well informed on the subject and be able to answer any concerns. I must be able to lead my team so we can have the Sinnoh launch go as smoothly as possible."

"Is the Sinnoh company you're paired with helping with all this, too?"

"Yes, I have received correspondence with them as well. We  _will_  be working together."

"I hope everyone else has their heart in this like you do." Amber sighed and sipped the last of her drink. "It's not fair if you're here working your ass off late into the night and these other people get to sleep soundly and just like... do as they are told or whatever."

"I am an ambassador for Devon Corporation and our products. It is my family's company. Of course I want to put in maximum effort." He seemed to ponder on what she said about others not working as hard.

"Yeah, I get that, but you've told me you've lost many hours of sleep to this project and how stressed you are. Are you planning on staying up all night doing this, or are we actually gonna hang out? They're not gonna keep you after that meeting tomorrow, are they?"

Steven started examining the back of one of his hands. "Things should go smoothly in the morning... we can still do breakfast... hum, maybe brunch again? It will probably be closer to noon by the time I get back."

"That sounds great honey, but what about tonight?" Amber replied, watching her prey intently. He was tugging at his rings and avoiding eye contact, well aware of what she was insinuating.

"Well, I suppose there is not that much that needs to be done tonight..."

"Tell ya what," Amber stood up. "I'm gonna help myself to a second glass, and uh, it's a little after seven o'clock, so how about I take care of dinner? I could go get take out if you'd like, or we could get a pizza or something. I could run to the store and cook something up."

"Oh, no. Don't worry about doing all that." Steven stood up and fished out his wallet. He handed her a card. "Just order something to the house and put it on this card."

Amber took the card and looked over it. It appeared to be a company credit card; it was slate gray, a bit thicker and sort of heavy for a credit card. "If you insist. What's good around here?" She set it on the table and went to refill her glass.

"Oh, here. Take a look at this," he said, pulling out his phone. "Wallace had me get one of those food delivery apps, you can look over what's available around here." He handed her his phone with said app already opened. "That card should be loaded on there already, please order whatever you'd like."

Amber smiled.  _He's finally getting comfortable again_. She plopped back onto the couch and begun swiping through Steven's order history for an idea of what he liked. He seemed to use it at least once a week. She seated herself again and scrolled through for a while, considering all the options.  _Honestly, I think pizza is the easiest_. She placed an order for a simple large pepperoni and just as she got the order confirmation, a text banner appeared at the top of the screen.

_From: Cynthia | Darling, we missed you the other day! x I can't believe you were visiting while I was..._

"Oh,"  _Shit, this is his personal phone._

"What's that?" Steven asked, not turning from the computer screen.

"Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud."  _Now, I've GOT to know how many girls you've got chasing you_. Amber chuckled, opening his message app. Surely it won't hurt to peek at the recents.  _Just make sure not to accidentally open anything that's unread..._

Unfortunately, she couldn't look at the rest of Cynthia's message without giving away that she was snooping. But now Amber was wondering who she was. Steven's most recent outgoing message was to Wallace this morning. She opened it.

_I am serious. Do not contact me until you have checked yourself in. I suggest leaving at your earliest convenience. They are expecting you._

_Yikes_. She skimmed the previous messages, not seeing much of a solid connection to this message. From what she was told earlier today, she was almost positive it was about rehab for him.

Amber felt guilty and just skimmed the names of the recent messages. Mostly female, not surprising. She closed the message app and set the phone on the table, pulling up her own messages on her phone. She tapped on Wallace's name.

They hadn't exchanged many messages, it was just her teasing him while they were back at Indigo's airport.  _I'm heading out now, see ya (;_  and  _Here, where you at love?_  Of course, she had never gotten a response to any of them. She pondered what exactly she wanted to say to him, and why she suddenly had the urge to write to him in the first place. She sipped her wine until she thought of something.

_I need to talk to you. Preferably in person. Where did you say you lived?_

His response was fairly quick.  _Blocking this number. And leave Steven alone while you're at it._

"May I use your bathroom?" Amber asked. Steven nodded and she poked her head into his bedroom on her way over.

 _Afraid I can't do that. We have food on the way. And wow, don't you love the shade of purple he's got going on in his bedroom? My favorite!_  Amber smirked while quickly tapping away as she entered the bathroom. She checked herself in the mirror and glanced around. There was a plush floor mat in the same shade of purple that she saw in his bedroom, with matching towels. The bathroom was pretty clean and bland otherwise.

She saw Wallace begin typing, then stop after a moment. No response came through. Her smirk widened and she sat on the bathroom counter, watching the typing notification pop up again.

_You're at his house?_

Wanting to make him wait, she pulled up her favorite snapshot story app, and posed for a selfie. Amber angled the shot so her bountiful chest was clearly visible and she slightly parted her lips, gently touching them with a finger. She added heart stickers and posted it once she was happy with the filters, taking her time before opening her messages again.

 _Yup! You should come hang out 3_  Amber typed, and as she hit send she exited the bathroom. She saw Steven's phone lighting up on the table.

"I think someone's calling you." She said, checking the screen. Wallace's name and photo were shown, and she handed it to Steven. He took a look at the screen and promptly set the phone on his desk, effectively ignoring the call. "You're not gonna answer?"

"I'm busy," he said, almost annoyed.

 _Sorry, he's a little tied up right now_. Amber sent to Wallace from her phone.

 _You're pissing me off, little lady. What are you up to now?_  was his response.

_It sounds like you're accusing me of plotting something naughty! I'm just hanging out with my friend Steven (:_

_Whatever. I'm on my way over. We'll see._

_Oh fuck,_  she thought. Amber had only been teasing him, she didn't expect him to even respond to her messages in the first place.  _Damage control. Is he actually serious? What am I supposed to do if he is?_

She glanced at Steven, who was oblivious to any issues since he was enveloped in his work. He was scrolling the mouse wheel with one hand, his other arm propped on the desk holding his chin.

"It's a little warm in here. I think I'm gonna step outside for a minute, maybe take a walk." She said. She looked down at her discarded shoes.  _Eh, I'll probably just sit on the porch, actually._

"Are you feeling okay?" Steven asked after a moment. He turned in his chair again to look at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just want some fresh air, really. I'll be out on the porch."

"Are you sure? Do you want to take one of my Pokemon or something? Let me grab you a water." Steven stood up and bounded over to the fridge.

"Ah, thank you so much." Amber forced a smile. She took the bottle and nodded. "Don't worry. I won't go too far." She headed to the door and Steven watched her step outside before returning to his desk.

"Fuck, now what." Amber sighed under her breath. She examined some of the greenery around Steven's house and walked out to the cobblestone fence, leaning over it and looking out to the ocean.  _I did want to talk to him... I felt bad for him for some reason._

Amber turned her phone in her hands, fiddling around as she thought to herself. Where did Wallace say he lived again? She wracked her brain, trying to guess how long it would take him if he actually  _was_  on his way over.  _Like I even know where any towns are in this region..._

She tried dialing his number on her phone, but there was no answer. Amber paced nervously for a few minutes. She dialed again, deciding to leave a voicemail this time when he inevitably didn't answer.

"Hey," she said, now realizing she probably shouldn't say anything that could be construed as incriminating. "uh, was just wondering what you're up to! Missed you today. Hope to... hear from you soon." Amber quickly ended the call and took a big swig from her bottled water. She watched her phone for a moment again and then heard splashing down on the beach.  _No way,_  she thought.

Sure enough, Wallace was hopping off of that serpent Pokemon that Amber had seen in Steven's photos earlier. Wallace returned his Pokemon and begun ascending the beach towards Steven's home.

"Shiiiit!" Amber cursed to herself. She peeked in the window and Steven was sitting at the computer with no idea what was happening outside his home. She turned around and Wallace was now ten feet away, glaring at her.

"You're  _stalking_  him now?" Wallace spat.

"Hey, hey," Amber held her hands up and quickly closed the gap between them. "Listen, I wanted to-"

"No! Just- ugh. I don't want to see you. Ever again, okay?"

"Shhh, hey!" Amber was trying to quiet him, so Steven wouldn't hear them. "Wallace, I want to talk to you." She reached for his hand, and he aggressively pulled away from her and stepped back. She then noticed he had a suitcase.

"No! Get out of here, you harlot!"

Amber reeled at his insult. She furrowed her brows. "Well, no fucking wonder Winona dumped you," she retorted.

She obviously struck a nerve. Wallace tensed and looked like he was about to lash out at her.  _No way. He wouldn't hit me, would he?_  Wallace stepped forward. Amber felt tears beginning to form.  _Is he drunk... wait, I'm drunk!_  Suddenly overcome with emotions, namely fear, Amber panicked and stepped back.

"Do  _not_  speak of things you know NOTHING of!" Wallace snarled, coming closer. Amber instinctively put her arm in front of herself for protection. It was uncommon for her to get yelled at by men, but it scared her nonetheless. "You weren't there, you know nothing! You don't know  _her_ , and you don't know  _me_. Your words mean nothing!"

"What are you doing here?" Steven had come outside and he stood atop the stairs, arms crossed, glaring daggers at Wallace. Amber turned and saw this, making her more uncertain about her feelings.

"Steven." Wallace straightened and addressed his friend, ignoring the woman between them. "I wanted to say goodbye in person. I am on my way to Lilycove for the ferry." He gestured at his luggage, a hopeful expression as he glanced toward his best friend.

Steven's expression didn't change. He kept his eyes on Wallace as he descended the stairs and went to stand in front of Amber protectively. "I told you I did not want to see you or hear from you until you started treatment. Why are you here?"

Wallace frowned. "I... I needed to see you."

"Go. If you listened to what I said, you would know the boundaries I set, and that you are stretching them. Leave now." Steven responded flatly. "Amber, please go inside." He put his hand on her shoulder, turning her towards the house. She looked at the now devastated Wallace one last time before heading inside, leaving the two friends alone.

"I don't believe this..." Wallace said quietly, shaking his head. He looked the champion in the eyes. "I will be on my way, then." He dragged his luggage behind him and reluctantly headed back to the beach, looking back at Steven.

Steven just watched silently, his stern look did not change. He watched Wallace mount his Milotic and leave the shore before going back inside. Amber was standing a few feet away, back turned to him.

"Hey." Steven said quietly, voice cracking. He approached the woman and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Amber turned at his touch to face him. Her eyes were bloodshot. "Amber—did he hurt you?" He suddenly stammered furiously.

"No." Amber breathed. She was still feeling that awful guilt and sadness from earlier, and paired with the insults, shouting and alcohol... she felt extremely, uncharacteristically vulnerable. She met Steven's gaze and saw that he, too, looked flushed and had probably been holding back tears. She silently walked into his arms and he embraced her back.

"I'm so, so sorry." Steven whispered into her hair. "I..." He was quiet for a moment, probably debating on how much emotional toil he wanted to share with her in this moment. Their intimate moment was abruptly ended by a knock at the door, startling the two of them apart from each other. Steven went to answer the door and retrieve their dinner from the delivery person.

"Come on, let's go sit down." He said, gesturing to his bedroom with the pizza box. He put his other arm around her shoulder and ushered her over. Steven set the box down in the middle of the king-sized bed and handed her a plate. "I'll get us something to drink." Amber watched him leave and didn't move for a minute, but groggily went around to the far side of the bed and hopped onto the plush bedding, wiggling in comfortably. She helped herself to a slice of pizza when Steven returned with two glasses and a bottle of red wine. He poured her a glass and handed it to her, beaming. Zero trace of any of the previous emotional discomfort was showing.

"… Thanks." Amber said. He sat beside her and fixed himself a plate.

The room fell quiet, no sound besides the two of them eating and drinking. Amber desperately wanted to break the silence and ask him about earlier, but perhaps this calm quiet was therapeutic for the man. She watched him throughout their meal as he seemed to happily enjoy their meal together. He finished another slice and set his glass down on the nightstand.

As if in response to her thoughts, he sunk further back into the plush pillows and sighed. "So... tell me what is on your mind." He inquired, now sounding somber.

"I'm wondering if you're okay after everything that just happened." Amber adjusted onto her side to face him. Most of his face was obscured by pillows and his bangs.

"I am feeling a lot better. Now that he is supposedly on his way, I feel like I can finally... relax again." He also rolled onto his side to face her, but he immediately looked down and avoided eye contact. "I had to be stern with him, I couldn't let him see that I was in pain as well. I really did want to be beside my best friend every step of the way while he is having this difficult time, but this was something that he needed to realize on his own. Having to give him the 'tough love' treatment and distance myself, I couldn't let him see how much it hurt me to have to deny him that last comforting 'goodbye' he came for." Steven grew quiet, then spoke again after a moment, looking at Amber this time. "I'm sorry to have dumped all of this on you in the short time I have known you, Miss Amber. Your presence has been rather... cathartic for me. I apologize for my behavior, as it seems I have been using you in place of Wallace to cope with everything, and I want to let you know that I intend on making it up to you in any way I possibly can."

"Well thank you for that..." Amber responded, unsure at first how to react to his sudden intimate confession. She did catch on to him lowering his guard and becoming a more 'normal' person, even though her head was still swirling from the alcohol. Her head pounded as she met his gaze.  _This is a different man than the one I met at that party last night..._  Flashes of said night came back to her, and she remembered how much she had been waiting for this opportunity. She smiled and put a hand on his upper arm and squeezed to reassure him it was a positive reaction. In this motion, she also moved closer to him. "I'm just really so happy I can help you through this, and I will... help do what I can." Amber snuggled closer to him, pulling herself toward him in a hug.

"... Thank you. You're very kind." Steven replied, lightly returning her embrace. "I really do appreciate you." He sat upright, Amber's grip loosening and she returned to her own pillow, frowning. Steven turned on the television and started up a video streaming service, handing the remote to Amber. "Do you mind finding something for us to watch? I'll be right back." He slid off the bed and exited the room.

Amber flipped through his watch history and saw it was almost exclusively documentaries. This made her actually yawn, and of course, the recommended was also full of them. She rolled her eyes and played the first one, sinking back into the pillows.

Steven returned with bottles of water for the two of them, as well as his phone and a tablet. He handed her one of the bottles and she promptly set it on the nightstand beside her.

"We haven't even finished the wine," Amber said.

Steven glanced at the bottle. He felt bad because right now, he really just wanted Amber to fall asleep so he could get back to work. He worried about Amber making herself sick because at this point, he observed that she apparently had no handle on herself. Against his better judgment, he opened the bottle again and motioned for her to hand him the glass. She smiled and obliged, happily sipping away after he filled it.

Steven swiped the screen on his tablet and pulled up the e-mail he had been reading at his desk, continuing his work while waiting for Amber to doze off. He didn't mind the background noise of the documentary as he read through the correspondence, and out of the corner of his eye he kept watch over his guest. Amber had her head slumped back in the pillows and he saw her eyes were flitting as she tried to stay awake.

After Amber finally gave in to sleep, Steven tidied up the bedroom, removing all of their trash from dinner. He took her wine glass that was mostly full, and after cleaning everything he tugged the blankets out from under her to cover her up. She didn't stir at all as he adjusted her into a more comfortable sleeping position.

Steven returned to his desk to do some reading, but only about an hour passed before he, too, fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey this chapter is literally twice as long as most of the ones I write :') Sorry for taking so long! I have a few other side stories in the works that will hopefully be up soon as well so please check those out as well! I've got some related to this story and an unrelated one coming as well. xo


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